A variety of inflatable sport balls, such as a soccer ball, conventionally exhibit a layered structure that includes a casing, an intermediate layer, and an inflatable bladder. The casing forms an exterior layer of the sport ball and is generally formed from a plurality of durable, wear-resistant panels joined together along abutting edges (e.g., with stitching or adhesives). Although panel configurations may vary significantly, the casing of a traditional soccer ball includes thirty-two panels, twelve of which have a pentagonal shape and twenty of which have a hexagonal shape. The intermediate layer forms a middle layer of the sport ball and is positioned between the bladder and the casing. The bladder, which has an inflatable configuration, is located within the intermediate layer to provide an inner layer of the sport ball. In order to facilitate inflation (i.e., with air), the bladder generally includes a valved opening that extends through each of the intermediate layer and casing, thereby being accessible from an exterior of the sport ball.
The intermediate layer of a conventional sport ball may have a variety of configurations. As an example, a conventional intermediate layer may be formed from multiple material layers that include (a) a compressible foam layer located adjacent to the casing to impart a softened feel to the sport ball, (b) a rubber layer that imparts energy return, (c) a textile layer with a limited degree of stretch in order to restrict expansion of the bladder, and (d) multiple adhesive layers that extend between and join the foam, rubber, and textile layers. Although the intermediate layers of some sport balls incorporate each of these layers, one or more of these layers may be absent. Moreover, the configuration of the individual layers may vary significantly. For example, the textile layer may be formed from (a) a plurality of generally flat or planar textile elements that are stitched together, (b) a thread, yarn, or filament that is repeatedly wound around the bladder in various directions to form a mesh, or (c) a plurality of generally flat or planar textile strips that are impregnated with latex and placed in an overlapping configuration around the bladder. The various layers of the intermediate layer may also be bonded, joined, or otherwise incorporated into the casing as a backing material.